Pizza has got to be one of the most popular menu items in foodservice. Great for both sit-down dining and takeaway, pizza has been a go-to for many venues operating during the pandemic. The ingredients for a good pizza are pretty simple, you’re going to want a base, Italian Pizza Pasta Sauce, cheese and an assortment of toppings.
Creating your signature pizza recipe requires a fair amount of testing and tinkering. It can be fun to experiment with different flavours and textures with your toppings, but you’ll want to avoid too many divisive ingredients. People can be rather particular when it comes to what tops their pizza, which is why we’ve put together a list of the most divisive toppings. So, if you’re looking to create some healthy debate at the table, put these ingredients on your pizzas:
1) Pineapple
Let’s kick off proceedings with one of the most controversial of toppings, pineapple! It’s fair to say that the tropical fruit is both loved and hated by the pizza community. The good news is we’ve got pineapple that’s perfectly sliced for all your pizza needs. Check out Riviana’s Pizza Cut Pineapple here.
2) Anchovies
How many times have you had a customer who didn’t notice the anchovies on their pizza until it was too late? The salty sea creature has a potent flavour and can be a nightmare for anyone without the palette for seafood.
3) Olives
Another salty snack makes it on this list, and this time it’s olives! Olives are one of the more traditional pizza toppings, but that hasn’t stopped people from despising its appearance on their pizza. Olives were actually the most removed pizza topping, according to research conducted by Menulog.
4) Egg
For much of the world, cracking an egg on a pizza is a crime against the culinary arts. Here in Australia, we own it! The ‘Aussie pizza’ consists of an egg, bacon, capsicum, cheese and pineapple which makes for an explosion of flavour. Just maybe keep it away from any fussy eaters!
We think that broccoli is an awesome vegetable, packed with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fibre. Unfortunately for the green super food, most people aren’t looking for healthy when ordering a pizza.
6) Spinach
Much like broccoli, Spinach is a wonderful ingredient for its nutrients but doesn’t get the love it deserves in the pizza world. We’re not sure if it’s something to do with the texture or taste of spinach, but for whatever reason some disagree with it on pizza (not us though!).
7) Tuna
Another one for seafood lovers to fight for when sharing a pizza. The chicken of the sea (AKA tuna) makes so much sense as a pizza topping, yet it’s a problematic option for some. The fishy flavour of tuna has always rubbed some the wrong way, yet is beloved by others.
8) BBQ Sauce
Be wary of squirting BBQ sauce swirls on a pizza, it’s not for everyone. According to Pop Sugar, California Pizza Kitchen invented the BBQ chicken pizza way back in 1985, in a move away from more traditional pizza toppings. It seems that some people still aren’t on board with the idea.
9) Mushrooms
It’s hard to understand how a classic pizza topping like mushroom makes it onto this list, yet it still needs to be mentioned. Despite being a fan favourite for many, it seems that this sentiment isn’t shared by everyone, also cracking the top three of Menulog’s most removed pizza topping.
10) Avocado
It’s hard to tell if there’s a place for avocado on a pizza. The much-beloved stone fruit doesn’t offer much in terms of flavour, and its texture is questionable when heated. It might not be a super popular topping option just yet, but we think with the right pizza it could work.
If you’ve got a special pizza on the menu that you’re pretty proud of, we want to know about it! Send us any pics of your pizza creations for a chance to feature on our Facebook page for you and your business!